Line-casting machine.



D. S. KNOX.

LINE CASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILBD APR. 2, 1910.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Ja /356i STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANA S. KNOX, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR T0 MERGENTI-IALER LINOTYPE COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LINE-CASTING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANA S. KNOX, of Denver, county of Denver, and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Line-Casting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to line casting machines of the character represented in United States Letters Patent No. 436,532 and kindred machines, wherein type mat rices and expanding wedge spacers or justifiers are stored in magazines, released in proper order by finger-keys, assembled temporarily in line, and the line transferred to the face of a moldv where it forms type characters on the edge of a slug cast in the mold, after which the line is transferred to a distributing mechanism by which the matrices and spacers are returned to their magazines.

Each spacer consists of two oppositely tapered wedges connected by a vertical sliding joint, so that while one member is locked fast in the line, the other may be moved upward in order to increase the thickness of the operative portion of the spacer and thus effect the justification of the line. These spacers are dropped one at a time from their magazine a distance of several inches to the assembler in which the line is composed. The shorter or stationary wedge is provided with projecting ears by'which it is sustained and locked in the line.

In practice it is found that in their course from the magazine to the line these cars encounter certain shoulders by which the speed of the spacer is checked. It will occasionally happen that the blow or shock to which the ears are thus subjected leads to their being fractured. The object of the present invention is to overcome this trouble, and to this end it consists broadly in, the provision of yielding buffers or stops arranged in the path of the spacers to retard their movements without shock or violence.

As will be understood by a skilled mechanic after reading this specification, the invention may be embodied in many equivalent forms, but I have shown the same in a form well adapted for use in the Mergenthaler machines above referred to.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the ordinary throat or guide-way through which the spacers descend to the line in the course of com- Spceification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 2, 1910.

Patented 1) cc. 2, 1913.

Serial No. 553,125.

position, with my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a face view of the same with a descending spacer therein. Fig. 3 illustrates the buffers in a modified form. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the wedge spacers or justifiers.

Referring to the drawings, A represents one of the spacers or justifiers, consisting of the long wedge a, of uniform width from top to bottom, and the shorter wedge a permanently connected thereto by a vertical, sliding joint. The upper and shorter memher a has lateral projecting shoulders a and ears a projecting beyond these shoulders, the shoulders and ears being for the purpose of sustaining and, holding the member a, in the line while traveling through the machine, the member a serving as a means of sustaining and transporting the member a.

B represents a stationary chute or guide through which the spacers descend from their magazine one at a time to theline in the course of composition. This chute consists mainly of two upright parallel bars, Z) and 5 secured between plates 5 and I), and at such distance apart that the spacers may descend freely between thorn. Near their lower ends the guide bars 7) and b are provided with inwardly projecting shoulders, I) and 5 respectively, the distance between which is sufficient to permit the continued descent of the spacer member a, but insutlicient to permit the passage of the shoulders and ears on the member a As heretofore constructed, the shoulders of the descending spacers encountered and were arrested by the shoulders b and b, from which the spacer was delivered by a sidewisc movement. I now provide above each of the shoulders spring steps or buffers, I) and b having their upper ends secured rigidly to the vertical bars and their lower ends inclined inward, so that they serve as yielding or elastic stops for the shoulders of the descending spacers. These yielding surfaces are inclined not only downward toward each other, but also inclined sidewise, so that the spacer arrested upon them will slide ofi sidewise or facewise, and escaping therefrom continue its passage downward into the assembler. 111 Fig. 3, the stops or buffers b and 6 are shown in substantially the same form but with their lower ends secured to the vertical bars and projecting upwardly. The action of the parts is the same as in machines heretofore constructed, except as to the yielding or elastic movement of the stop shoulders. As shown in Fig. 2, it often happens that the wedge a of the descending spacer will stand somewhat above its lowest relation to the member al In. such case the member a will be first arrested, and before it escapes the member a will descend to its lowest position in relation thereto. Then the spring will soften the blow between the member a and the member a as the latter acts to arrest the downward movement of the member a.

It will be observed that the spring shoulders serve two purposes: first, that of arresting with an easy movement the descent of the spacer as a whole and second, that of softening the blow between the short wedge and the longer one as the latter descends in A comprising the part a and the shouldered 1 parte connected by a sliding oint, in comrelation to the former at the point of re tardation.

Having described my invention, what I j iengage the shoulders of the part a and to Iretard the travel of the spacer toward the matrix line.-

toward the matrix line, of a yielding buffer 1 claim; is:

it. In a l1ne casting machlne, the combinatlo-n with means for guiding. the spacers through and to arrest their descent before they pass to the line.

2. In a line casting. machine, the combination with means for guiding the spacers to tion of spacers formed with laterally proj ecting portions, a guide therefor,- and yielding buffers located in position to engage the i said projecting portions and arrest the spacers in their advance toward the line.

5". Ina line castlng. machlne, the spacer bination with yielding buffers adapted to In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 14th day of March-,- 1910, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

DANA S. KNOX. Witnesses:

ALFRED A. EIoKS, VVALTERI, C, STEIN;

Bottles of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the" Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D; 0 

